Collapsible ironing table



Jan. 29, 1935. w. H. MAYNARD 1,989,555

COLLAPSIBLE IRONING TABLE `Filed March 15, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l @gli Vga ff uw IIIII I Ivi/verz to2;

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Jan. 29, 1935. A H. MAYNARD 1,989,555 v coLLAPsI-BLE IRONING TABLE Filed March l5, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 3. /d L EUR@ i /z /ff /J /3 A 24 i@ zd A9 f) /f Y l Inventor; MZZz'dWZ H/Ydywdrd,

Patented Jan. 29, 1935 i l UNITED sTArss VArNr 'FFfica William'l. Maynard, Wrinoosk, Vt., assignor to Porter Screen Company, WinooskiVt., a corporation of Vermont Appiioaeon March 15, 1934, serial No. '115,593

c claim. (c1. fis- My invention relates to ironing tables ory boards accompanying drawings which exemplify one emand more particularly to a novel and efficient bodiment of my invention chosen for the purposes construction and arrangement of collapsible legs of illustration. and/or supporting elements for an ironingtable. In the drawings: e

5 In ironing or pressing garments it will be un- Fig. 1 is a plan view of anembodiment of my Vl5 derstood that substantial pressures are exerted ironingvtable showing the supporting elements in upon the upper surface of the ironing-board not collapsed. position; l only by the weight of the flat-iron but also by Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the supporting the additional pressure exerted upon the iron by elements in partially erected position;

10 the operator as in pressing heavy-fabrics, etc. Fig. 3 isa side elevation showing the ironing l0 In the construction of an ironing table great care table in Completely @rooted IooSitioIi;v and must be taken to provide supporting elements Fig. 4 is a fragmentary section looking in the arranged and constructed so that no matter direction of the arrows 4 4 in Fig. 3. where upon the surface of theironing-board such In the embodiment chosen for A'the purpose pressures are exerted, the board will be firmly of illustration herein the top of thel ironing 15 held at its original elevation, without giving, retable comprises an ironing-board 10. ,l Rear ceding, settling, or tipping. It is therefore delegs constituting a rear supporting member sirab1e not only to construct the supporting ele- 11 are pivotally Connected to the ironing board ments strong enough to resist such pressures, but adjacent one end thereof as by the pivots v13 on also to arrange them so that the pressures will either'end of the longitudinal cleat'12, which is 20 be properly distributed among thevarious supfirmly Secured to the ironing hoofd by SCreWSOI porting elements to prevent excessive forces from other means. Anoblique leg 14 is provided hav,- centering in one or more of said elements. 'ing one end Dil/Otani? ooniiootod either to the-Tool' The principal object of my invention is to prosupporting member or to the ironing board advideacollapsible ironing table, the supporting elevjacent the end thereof to whichI said rear supv25 ments of which not only provide a firm and rigid porting Amember is connectedjas bythe pivots 13. support for the ironing-board and properly dis- The oblique leg 14 is preferably formed of-two tribute the pressure among said elements, but longitudinal elements, the free ends ofr which also provide an arrangement of said elements so converge and are secured together byasuitable '-30 that by one simple hand movement the elements means, as for` 'example' the headed barr 15. YThe 30 may be automatically extended to supporting pofacesi Vof l the cleat 12 are preferably cut lat an sition and conversely by an equally simple reangle correspondingto the angle talenby the verse movement said elements may be completely respective longitudinal elements of the oblique collapsed against the under surface of the board, log, thus forming4 Supporting Surfaces against '3'5 all without danger of pinching the operators nwhichsaid elements may rotate. jv 35 gers during erection or collapse and without ne- A compression member 17 is provided between cessity of adjusting or positioning any element, the ironing board and the lower end of lthe A further object is to provide a construction oblique leg 14. The upper 'end of said compression and arrangement of the supporting elements member 17 is'pivotally connected'to the ironing 40 Whereby'they are all interconnected either to board, preferably by meansof headed rivets which 40 each other or to the ironing-board, leaving no pass through the Idownturned ends of a metallic free or loose element which requires adjustment strap 18 which is secured to the ironing board by or positioning in erecting or collapsing the ironmeans of screws, rivets or other suitable means. ing-board. The lower end of the compression member 1'7` is `4.5 A further object is to providea strong, easily pivotally connected to a link member 19, which is 45 collapsible ironing table which maybe economipivotally connected to the lower end ofthe oblique cally manufactured and assembled. ,legi 141 as bythe headed vbar 15. The compression A further object is to provide releasable lockmember 17 is preferably constructed of two longi- `ing means for the supporting elements of such tudirlol` elements, ando o1'0SSioa1`20 isprefoably an ironing table in erected position to lock them provided. between ,Sakiv elements `adjacent vthe 50 in erected position and prevent accidental colloWoioIidS theoofsaid oIOSSboY `Serving aS apii/ot lapsing thereof. for the link member 19 and connecting member OtherY objects relate to the construction and 21, and also serving as means for firmly engaging mode of operation and will be apparent from a f theA upper surfaceof the oblique leg lfiwhen the '55 Vvconsideration of the following description and ironing table is in erected'positionr` (as shown in 55 Figs. 3 and 4). The link member 19 is preferably constructed of two pieces, each having one end pivoted to the bar 15 and the other end pivoted to the bar 20.

A connecting member 21 is provided having one end pivotally connected to the rear supporting member, as by means of rivets and washers 22, and the other end pivotally connected tothe compression member 17 or to the link member 19. This connecting member is preferably constructed of two longitudinal elements.

In erected position the lower end of the compression member l7 firmly engages the oblique leg 14 by means of the crossbar 2() and the link member 19, and consequently the compressive forces in the compression member are 'transmitted directly to the lower end of the oblique leg and thence directly to the floor.

The connecting member 21 serves as a tension member between the compression member and/ or the oblique leg on one end and the rear legs on the other end, and also serves to limit the outward movement of the rear legs and to` collapse the rear legs.

The link member 19 guides the compression member 17, the crossbar 20 and the connecting member 21 from collapsed position to erected position and conversely. It also, in conjunction with the compression member, limits the outward movement of the oblique leg and it serves further, when the table is in erected position, to hold the crossbar 20 securely in engagement with the upper surface of the oblique leg by preventing the crossbar from sliding downwardly along said 51.1.3398- In my preferred embodiment I provide releasable locking means, such as the hook 23, pivotally connected to the oblique leg and adapted to detachvablly engage means connected with the link memben for example the crossbar 20, when the legs are in erected position, to lock said link memberagainst pivotal movement, thus locking the legs in erected position. Itwill be understood that since in erected position (see Fig. 3) the link member 19 has been swung past its dead center the V :ompressive forces exerted by the compression member 17 and the crossbar 20 will prevent thelink member 19 from swinging in a clock- Wise direction (looking at Fig. 3) and consequently will prevent the ironing table from accidentally collapsing. However, if the ironing table is tipped up on its Wide end the compressive force exerted by gravity or otherwise will tend to be discontinuedin the compression member 17 and the force of gravity will swing the oblique leg in a clockwise direction, thus also tending to swing the link member 19 in agclockwise direction past its dead center, and consequently the table inrsuch a position may be completely collapsed by the .force of gravity. It will be understood, however,

that so long as the ironing-board is in a horizontal position there is no such tendency to collapse by gravity. The releasable locking means 23 is theref ore provided to prevent such collapsing by gravitywhenthe table is tipped on end, but it will be understood that such collapsing may also be prevented by the operator grasping either the connecting member 21 or the compression member 17 when tipping the table on end, vand easing or controlling the pivotal movement of the link member past .its dead center and to fully collapsed position.

Inmy preferred embodiment I provide a knob` or hagllefneer theend. Qf th. @naming member means.

2l, for the operator to grasp with one hand in erecting or collapsing the ironing table.

A collapsible ironing table constructed in the manner described above, provides a durable, strong and economical table readily and simply set up or collapsed, with all of its elements interconnected, eliminating free ends to be positioned or adjusted, and with its supporting elements arranged to provide a rigid support and also to be set up or collapsed automatically by one simple hand movement.

To erect the ironing table I recommend placing the ironing table in a vertical position with its wide end resting upon the oor, with one hand grasping the narrow end of the ironing board and the other hand grasping the connecting member, as by the knob 24. Then by a simple counterclockwise movement (looking at Fig. 2) of If desired the releasable locking means 2,3'may be revolved into engagement with the link member 19 or the crossbar 20 after they supporting elements have been revolved into extended position but, as explained above, the ironingV table is satisfactory without suchA releasable locking The present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and this invention includes all modiiications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim; l

1. A collapsible ironingl table comprising an .ironing board member, rear legs constituting a rear supoprting member pivoted to said board, an oblique leg pivotedsto at least one of said members, a compression member having its upper end pivotally connected to said board, means on the lower end of said compression member to engage said oblique leg when the table is `in erected position, a connecting memberhaving one end pivotally connected to said compression member and the other end pivotally connected to the Yrear supporting member, and av link member pivotally connecting theoblique leg and said compression member.

2. A collapsible ironingy table comprising an ironing board member, rear legsconstituting a rear supporting member pivote-d to said board,

an oblique leg pivoted'to at least one of .saidf members,` a compression memberhaving its upper end pivotally connected to said board', means on the lower end of said compression member to engage said oblique leg when the table is'in erected position, a connecting 'member having one end pivotallyconnected to said compression member and the other end pivotally connected to the rear supporting member, and a link member pivotally connecting the oblique leg and said connecting member.

3. A collapsible ironing ktable comprising an ironing board member, rear legs constituting a rear supporting memberpivoted to saidl board, an oblique leg pivoted toat least one of; said members, a compression member having its up,-

per end pivotally connected to said board, means on the lower end of said compression member to engage said oblique leg when the table is in erected position, a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to said compression member and the other end piVotally connected to the rear supporting member, and a link member having one end pivotally connected to the oblique leg and the other end pivotally connected to said compression member and said connecting member.

4. A collapsible ironing table comprising an ironing board member, rear legs constituting a rear supporting member pivoted to said board, an oblique leg pivoted to at least one of said members, a compression member having its upper end pivotally connected to said board medially thereof, means on the lower end of said compression member to engage said oblique leg When the table is in erected position, `a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to said compression member and the other end pivotally connected to the rear supporting member, and a link member pivotally connecting the oblique leg and said compression member.

5. A collapsible ironing table comprising an ironing board member, rear legs constituting a rear supporting member pivoted to said board, an oblique leg pivoted to at least one of said members, a compression member having its upper end pivotally connected to said board, a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to the rear supporting member, a crossbar pivot'- ally connecting the other end of said connecting member With the lower end of said compression member, said crossbar engaging said oblique leg when the table is in erected position, and a link member having one end pivotally connected to the oblique leg and the other end pivotallv connected to said crossbar, said link member being sWingable from the position in which said crossbar is in engagement with said oblique leg to a position in which said krear legs, oblique leg, compression member and connecting member are collapsed against the under surface of the ironing board.

6. A collapsible ironing table comprising `an ironing board member, rear legs constituting a .rear supporting member pivoted to said board,

an oblique leg pivoted to at least one of said members, a compression member having its upper end pivotally connected to said board, means on the lower end of lsaid compression member to engage said oblique leg When the table is in erected position, a connecting member having one end pivotally connected to said compression member and the other end pivotally connected to the rear supporting member, a link member pivotally connecting the oblique leg and the compression member, and releasable locking means to lock said link member against pivotal movement when the table is in erected position.

WILLIAM H. MAYNARD. 

